The objective of this research is to elucidate the genetic and hormonal regulatory mechanisms effecting the realization of enzymes in developing brain. We have concentrated our study on the enzyme L-glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.8). A comparison of the properties of this enzyme in neonatal and adult neural tissue suggests that a different form of the enzyme is present during enbryonic and fetal development. The transition from the embryonic to the adult forms coincides with the time at which genetic differences in both the structural properties and activity levels of L-glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase become apparent among inbred strains of mice. We are investigating whether other tissues in addition to neural tissue contain the embryonic form of L-glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase. In addition, tumorigenic cells contain the embryonic enzyme and we are trying to establish cell lines in tissue culture from these tumors that contain the embryonic enzyme. In order to study the control mechanism for L-glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase regulation both in vivo and in vitro and antibody is trying to be produced which will react against the enzyme.